Monday Catch Up

One day I'll get on the rockin year recap post train... Until then, here's what's been going on in #feralredhorse world.  It was really cold the last week, and it was so cold yesterday that the horses got left inside. I stepped away to see if I could find Foxie some more hay and heard a crash:

I walked back around the corner to find the above piglet, being a pig. Before it got way too cold to function, I also rode my horses (Wednesday). I lunged them before, because they just stand around outside and don't move, so we end up with shenanigans as they stretch and play. Bailey turned it up a notch, though:

My horse is such a special animal, guys.

On the holidays front, I appear to be drowning my bored winter sorrows in horse stuff. While I still need to pick up the faux Micklem I'm getting in trade from a friend, I've been making up for the lack of it by buying other stuff. I got a new bit (14 mm is really different from 16 mm, guys. Totally) and some FANTASTIC new breeches in the mail from Smartpak recently, thanks in part to Amanda from Bel Joeor since I won an amazing gift card from her clipping contest. I got the Smartpak Piper with Silicone full seat, and guys... I love them. Review to come once I've ridden in them, but I spent an evening prancing around in them because they fit like a glove and that's amazing in of itself.

Other than the bit and breeches, I also finally jumped on the #BLING train around Black Friday thanks to Amelia and Dark Jewel Designs. She's been amazingly patient as I tried to figure out what I want, and I can't WAIT to get my lovely browbands in the mail:

LOOK AT THESE BEAUTIFUL THINGS

I already have more plans in the works for a black/brown pearl strand to match my Visions, and will probably reprise a few of the other red/green designs, because I can't get enough of the Christmas colors. I know I'm getting some very special horsey gifts from my family, as well, and it makes me so very happy. I already have neglected to mention my birthday presents from my wonderful hubby, my beloved Ariat Braemar boots (I know, I need to review them...), OneK Skull Cap (reviewed!) and Centaur Fox boot bag. He clearly knows the way to my heart.

Tonight, because the world has made a climb back above 0, I plan to ride both mares. I might jump Bailey again, depending on how windy the walk to the upper barn is. Otherwise, I got my Vision Dressage back from the fitter friend who did a lot of flocking work, and I'm interested to see how much she could do with it. Warmer temps mean  that I might actually get some photos and video to break up my wall of text posts, too! 

BB and the Bridle

I've spent the last week working Bailey in a trial Micklem bridle from our favorite local tack shop. I was just planning to shove her back into a snaffle bridle from her BS of Sweden bridle at shows and call it good, but then a friend mentioned her mare didn't like her Mick(lie)m bridle after all, and said she was going to be selling it. And I happened to have some breeches she wanted. So we chatted about a trade, and I went, wait... I should probably ride my horse in this magikal bridle and ensure she likes it before I drop monies on it.

So I did.

First things first: I hate brown tack. Especially bridles. I guess I can't complain about the brown TSF girth that I know is coming my way for Christmas (I can deal with brown for a girth. It will just get dirty anyways, right?) but the brown Micklem? HORRIBLE.

Bailey was not meant to wear brown, in my mind. It makes her painfully plain looking and a friend and I had a hard time deciding if the bridle or the color was making her head look like an anvil. She was, however, freakishly soft while riding in an arena where she was normally very stiff/looky/spooky (the upper indoor is haunted, obviously) and had tons of white lipstick after ride #1. I wasn't going to count my chickens, so we kept using it... and I even, for science, slapped the same snaffle on a figure-8 bridle to see if things felt different. She continued to be soft, less confrontational about bit-related discipline and wasn't sucking back behind the bit nearly so much. Her tongue did come out a few times, but I'm hoping with more practice at taking a firmer contact, she won't panic so much. And if she does keep acting like her mouth is over full, we can always loosen the noseband and go in search of a narrower diameter bit.

So here I go throwing more fancy spoiled pony gadgets at my spoiled red horse. Divas! I swear. Since the Mick(lie)m I am buying has a fancy dutch drop browband that is missing some crystals, I took advantage of Small Business Saturday and am working with Amelia at Dark Jewel Designs to get B a fancy beaded browband. So far, we have a "fancy" strand worked out, and I'm delighted. I can't stop checking to see if we have progress on the other strand, though... Because life is never complete without some red and green!

The top one will be coming to a showground near you next year!

We continue to do a lot of work in the dressage saddle, which continues to be the love of my life. I've got it shimmed in the back, which has made it even more of a dream to ride in. I've had my front shims shoved into the back of my half pad, so I took advantage of Smartpak's sale to replace my rear shims that I (think) I sold with another Trifecta pad a few years ago. Bailey's back continues to not be sore, and while I have been (oh hai, actually doing stuff while riding) I'm happy to think that we're finally solutioning so I can just ride and not worry about equipment. The saddle still needs to see the fitter (note to self,  bother fitter) but once we're there, I think I will be able to buckle down and just... ride. For once. Won't that be grand?!